Molded handle and the like



Sept. 14, 1926.

J. B.' SANBORN MOLDED HANDLE AND THE LIKE Filed June 4. 1925 2 Sheets-Shea@ l y INVENTOR WM Mmm/m m ma@ ATTORNEY J. E. SANBORN MOLDED HANDLE AND THE LIKE 2 SheetS-Sheet 2 Filed June 4. 1923 INVENTOR [Immf ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 14, 1926.

' UNITED STATES JOHN B. SANBORN, or EvANsToN, Immers.

MOLDED HANDLE AND THE LIKE.

Application led .Tune 4,

rlhis invention relates to ,molded lhandles and the like and to a method of forming the same.

An object of the invention is to provide a molded handle or the like having one or more rotatable inserts molded therein by .an improved method, such inserts serving for attaching or other purposes.

Another object of the invention is to pro-V vide a molded handle having attaching elements embedded therein in a manner preserving unbroken the desired contour of the handle.

Another object is to provide a handle having means for attaching the same to an article in a simple and efficient manner without the use of tools."V

Another object is to provide a handle having means embedded therein for attaching the same to articles lhaving standard fittings.

.Another object is to provide a novelv method of forming a -molded handle or y.the like whereby the attaching or other inserts thereof are permitted a Ilimited lateral play i therein.

Other objects'and advantages will beap parent in the course of the following kde-l scription. Y

.In the accompanying` drawing wherein are'illustrated certain of the embodiments which the invention may assume in practice,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of one `form of handle kand attaching means embodyingmy invention, portions thereof being shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 illustrates in plan and side elevationthe type of wrench shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a slightly modified form of handle;

Fig. l is a plan view of certain elements of the device shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an endelevaton of the handle shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view ',of a portion of a handle illustrating one 1nanner of spacing the attaching element from the material of the handle; and

(Fig. 7 is a similar view showing a ball and socket connection `between the attach,- ing element and the handle, and the means for permitting relative angular adjustment therebetween.

Referring to Fig. -1 of the drawing the same illustrates a percolator or other hol- 1923. Serial No. 643,225.

low-ware article handle and attaching means therefor.

each arm .ll and 12 thereof and freely rotatable with respect lthereto is a member 13 having a head portion 14 and a reduced screw threaded portion 15 extending outwardly beyond theV material of the handle. The members 13 which are of circular cross section'are eachv provided Vwith cut-,away or flattened portions 16 adapted to be engaged by wrench `n'rembers 17 having correspond ingly shaped openings 18 therethrough, as

clearly shown in Fig. 2. The wrench mem! bers 17 are provided with cars or 'projecel tions 19 to facilitate turning of the same. ln attaching the handle `to an article the wrench members 17 are positioned upon the projecting portions of the attaching menibers 13 and the s crewqthreaded portions 15 are brought into engagement with polygonal nuts 20, the latter being held against rotation by means Vof surrounding cap members 21 which :engage the sides of the nuts, the cap members 21 being .fastened t0 the percolator or other .article 22 by any suitable means, such as rivets 23. By rotating the wrench Ymembers 17 the attaching members 13 are also caused to rotate, which feeds the screw 'threaded portions 15 into the nuts 20 and thereby draws the head portions 14 against the shoulders 211 to clamp the parts together.

An limportant and desirable feature resides in the provision of means whereby the fastening members 1,3 ymay be embedded' in the handle While enabling the same to be freely rotatable with respect thereto. This s accomplished bycoatng the fastening members 13 with a suitable low melting point alloy, after which the handle is- Illolded with the coated members embedded therein. After Amolding the handle the low melting point alloy V,is melted out, which provides a space or clearanceubetween the' material .and the fastening members whereby the latter are free to rotate with respect to the handle. If the fastening members Were embedded in lthe moldedv material vin the ordinaryrmanner, the same would be tightly held against rotation, as is well known to those skilled 'in the art.

Fig. 3 illustrates my invention as applied to a handle for an electric iron or thelike, wherein the handle 25 of the `desired shape has embedded Vin the arms 26 and 27 thereof The molded Vhandle 10 is, substantially U-shaped and embedded inV eoV the fastening members 28. These fastening members are provided with head portions 29, cut-away or flattened portions 30,.and reduced screw threaded portions 31, as described in connection with Fig. 1. It will be noted, however, that the fastening .members 28 in Fig. 2 are of much larger dimensions than the fastening members 13 in Fig. 1 and extend through the major portion of the length of arms 26 and 27 and thus tend to reinforce the material forming the handle. Attached to the ends of the arms 2G and 27 are metal ferrules or caps 32 which beark against the wrench members 33. The screw threaded portions 31 are adapted to be moved into correspondingly ,threaded recesses 34 to thereby hold the handle in position. The wrench members 33 in this instance are of polygonal shape to adapt the same for engagement by a suitable tool for rotating the same, although it is to be understood that the periphery of the wrench members may be milled or notched or of any other suitable shape to permit the same to be readily engaged by hand or a tool to turn the same. The wrench 33 as shown in Fig. 4 is provided with an opening vshaped to cooperate with the fiattened portions 30 of the fastening members 28. It will also be understood that the Afastening members 28 are coated with a low melting point alloy prior to embedding the same in the handle member and the alloy melted out after molding, as described in connection with Fig. 1.

In practice the wrench members 17 (Fig. 1) and 33 (Fig. will be frictionally held against accidental reverse movement when the handles have been attached to the articles. If desired, however, any suitable locking means may be provided, such as a spring clip attached to the handle andengaging the periphery of the wrench, or a portionV 322L of the ferrule or cap 32 may be bent downwardly to engage the wrench when the handle has been attached, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 illustrates another arrangement for embedding` a fastening member 36 within a molded handle 37, the member 36 having a conical head member 3S and being otherwise as shown and described in connection with Figs. 3 and 5. The member 3G in this instance is, however, provided with a. low melting point alloy coating 39 of varying thickness longitudinally of the member 3G. The coating is thickest at the lower portion 40 thereof and the thickness gradually decreases y toward the head 38 of the fastening member.

This arrangement is desirable since it has been found that the alloy can be more readily melted therefrom than where the coating is of uniform thickness upon the fastening member, since in the latter case the melted alloy tends to stick within the recess between the :fastening member and the material of the handle. The enlarged space thus provided between the fastening member and the material of the handle after the alloy is removed therefrom may also be utilized to permit a limited movement of the fastening member with respect to the handle, and thus afford adjustment of the handle with respect to the article to which it is attached. The lastV mentioned feature is also illustrated in Fig. 7, which shows a fastening member 41 embedded in a handle 42, the alloy for spaeing the fastening member from the molded material of the handle having been removed. Fastening member 41 is provided in this instance with a spherical head portion 43 which in conjunction with the tapered passage 44 permits adjustment of the fastening member with respect to the handle, as shown in dotted lines, or vice versa.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A molded plastic composition article having molded therein an attaching member which is freely rotatable with respect thereto.

2. A molded plastic composition article having an attaching member molded therein said member' having clearance from the surrounding molded material to permit of its free rotation with respect to the article and having a retaining shoulder to cooperate with a shoulder formed within the article.

3. A molded handle having a headed member molded in and projecting therefrom, said member being freely rotatable with respect to said handle and having the projecting portion thereof screw-threaded and provided with a wrench te be clamped between the handle and the article to which it is attached.

4. A molded handle having spaced attaching members molded therein and projecting therefrom, said members having clearance from the material molded thereabout to permit of their free rotation and a limited variation of the distance between centers thereof and said projecting ortions of said members being screw threat ed and provided with wrenches to be clamped between the handle and the article to which the handle is attached.

5. The combination with an article having a threaded handle socket, of a molded handle having molded therein a headed member which is freely rotatable and provided with a threaded projecting portion and a wrench mounted on the projecting threaded portion of said member to thread the latter into the socket of said article and to be clamped between said article and the handle.

6. A molded handle of substantially U- shape having attaching members molded in the arms thereof and extending throughout `a major portion of the length of said arms,

said members having clearance from the surrounding molded material to permit of their free rotation and having screw threaded portions projecting from the handle and provided with flat faces and Wrenches mounted on said projecting portions of said members and engaging the fiat faces thereof to screw the same into the article to which said handle is to be attached.

7 The method of forming a molded plastic composition article provided With a rotatable insert which comprises coating the insert With a low melting` point alloy, molding the article around such coated insert and then melting such coating.

8. The method of molding a plastic come position article provided with a rotatable insert which comprises surrounding the insert With a lovv melting point alloy to provide therefor a coating Which varies in thickness and having its maximum thickness adjacent an outer face of the article, molding the article about said insert and then melting and removing such coating.

9. The method of forming a molded plastic composition handle provided With a spherically headed attaching member molded therein Which comprises coating the spherical head and a portion of the body of said member With a lovv melting point alloy to provide a coating Which increases in thickness from the head of said member toward the outer extremity thereof,` molding the handle around such coated portions of said member and then melting and removing said coating.

10. A molded plastic composition handle having a headed attaching member embedded and anchored therein by the molding operation, said attaching member having a coating of low melting point alloy to permit relative movement of the attaching member With respect to the handle upon application of heat.

1l. An insert for a molded plastic composition article comprising a headed member having a coating of fusible material about which the article is adapted to be molded, said coating being adapted When heated to permit relative rotation of the member Within the article.

In Witness whereof, I havehereunto subscribed my name.

JOHN B. SANBORN. 

